15s

• The European Commission will publish a legislative proposal this Thursday to bar children under 15 from using social media without parental consent. • The plan includes safety-by-design rules for risky online services, specifically targeting AI chatbots and video games. • This EU-wide measure aims to prevent legal fragmentation across the bloc, as ten countries including France, Germany, and Italy are already advancing their own national bans.

• France has submitted a new proposal to ban social media use for children under 15 after a previous attempt failed. • The Constitutional Council struck down the earlier legislation in mid-August because it unnecessarily infringed on the freedom of expression of the affected youth. • This move indicates a continued effort by the French government to restrict digital access for minors despite legal challenges regarding civil liberties.

Constitutional council says curbs infringe freedom of expression and privacy as president vows to rework legislationFrance’s top court has blocked a ban on social media access for under-15s, ruling that it infringed freedom of expression and privacy.The decision is a blow to President Emmanuel Macron as momentum builds around the world for Australian-style restrictions on children’s use of social media. Continue reading...

• Norway is commemorating the 15th anniversary of the terror attacks carried out by Anders Behring Breivik on July 22, 2011. • The attacks involved a car bomb in Oslo and a mass shooting at a youth camp on Utøya island, resulting in 77 total deaths. • Memorial ceremonies are being held today at Oslo Cathedral and on Utøya to honor the victims and survivors.

Parliament votes to stop children using apps such as TikTok in policy championed by Emmanuel MacronFrance’s parliament has approved a bill banning social media access for children under 15, making it the first European country to bar children from apps such as TikTok.The president, Emmanuel Macron, has championed the ban as a major reform of his final term in office and pledged to enforce it by September. Continue reading...

Prime minister says ban would come into force next year and calls for united action across European UnionGreece has announced a social media ban for under-15s from 1 January, with the country’s prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, citing rising anxiety, sleep problems and the addictive design of online platforms – although he acknowledged it may incur the wrath of some children.“We have decided to go ahead with a difficult but necessary measure: ban access to social media for children under 15 years old,” he said in a TikTok video intended to address a young audience. Continue reading...